Terminal connectors for wire wound ignition cables



Oct. 11, 1966 H. A. ELLIOTT 3,278,889

TERMINAL CONNECTORS FOR WIRE V VOUND IGNITION CABLES Filed June 17, 1964 INVENTOQ HOWARD A. ELLIOTT United States Patent 3,278,889 TERMINAL CONNECTORS FOR WIRE WOUND IGNITION CABLES Howard A. Elliott, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Essex Wire Corporation, Fort Wayne, Ind, a corporation of Michigall Filed June 17, 1964, Ser. No. 375,796 3 Claims. (Cl. 339-223) This invention relates to terminal connectors particularly adapted for connection to wire wound resistance core ignition cables.

One object of the invention is to provide a terminal connector formed of sheet metal or the like having a ferrule-forming portion and an electrical connector portion wherein the ferrule-forming portion comprises a tube open at one side and adapted to receive the marginal end of a wire wound ignition cable having one side of the insulation thereof notched down to the wire winding thereof, the terminal edges of the ferrule-forming portion along the opposite side thereof being depressed into the insulation of the cable opposite the notched side thereof to retain the cable relative to the ferrule-forming portion of the terminal connector.

Another object is to provide the ferrule-forming portion with an electrical connector portion adjacent the notch to be deformed thereinto and into intimate electrical contact with the wire winding of the cable.

Still another object is to provide means for electrically connecting the ferrule-forming portion to the wire winding of the cable in the form of an electrical connector portion formed by a pair of slits transversely of the axis of the ferrule, or by a tab extending longitudinally of the ferrule, either of which are depressed into the notch of the cable and pressed into contact with the wire winding thereof.

A further object is to provide a modified form of the invention in which greater assurance of electrical connection is had by means of depressing opposite portions of the ferrule into contact with opposite sides of the wire winding of the cable, the cable in this case having a pair of opposite notches to receive the electrical connector portions.

Still a further object is to provide another modified construction in which the electrical connector means consists of a slug of soft metal such as lead or the like filling the notch of the cable and in intimate contact with the wire winding thereof and with the internal diameter of the ferrule-forming portion of the electrical connector.

An additional object is to provide a terminal connector which is operable, after stripping insulation from one or opposite sides of the ignition wire, to have a portion or portions crimped into engagement with the bared wire to provide an efficient electrical connection.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the herein disclosed terminal connectors, whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a terminal connector embodying my invention and a length of wire wound resistance core ignition cable to be mechanically and electrically connected with the terminal connector;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 22 of FIG. 1 to show details of the notch in the side of the cable in which an electrical connection is made as will hereinafter appear;

FIG. 3 is a similar sectional view turned 90 and showing also the surrounding ferrule-forming portion of Patented Oct. 11, 1966 ICC the terminal connector in the final assembled position thereof;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a different formation of electrical connector;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a terminal connector of slightly different form than shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 and illustrating the terminal connector of FIG. 5;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are sectional views similar to FIG. 6

On the accompanying drawing I have used the refer- V ence numeral 10 to indicate, in general, a terminal connector member which may be formed of sheet metal or the like into an electrical connector portion 12 and a ferrule-forming portion 14. The portion 12 is shown as a perforated lug but may be in any other form such as a plug or the like. The ferrule-forming portion 14 has one open side indicated at 16.

An ignition cable is shown generally at 18 and comprises a core 20, a resistance wire winding 22 and insulation 24 surrounding the core and the winding. In order to make an electrical connection to the terminal connector 10, a notch 26 is cut into the side of the cable so that one side of the wire winding 22 is exposed as shown at FIG. 2 as indicated at 22 rather than stripping a length of cable from its end as usually done which permits the wire 22 to unwind from the core 20. The notch '26 is spaced inwardly from the terminal end of the cable 18 as shown in FIG. 1 so that the marginal end of the cable indicated 18 may be received in the ferrule-forming portion 14 of the terminal connector 10 with the notch 26 located about midway the length of the ferrule-forming portion.

A notch of this character in the side of the cable provides a more satisfactory electrical connection than when the insulation is stripped from the end of the cable whereupon the resistance wire 22 uncoils and it is difficult to make an adequate connection. With the notch type, however, adequate electrical connection as well as mechanical connection are made, the invention thereby overcoming this problem by notching the insulation at a point spaced from the end and supplying an open barrel-type terminal over the notch with circuit establishing means in electrical contact with the wire.

The mechanical connection between the terminal connector and the cable is effective and efficient, comprising the depression of terminal edges 28 of the open side 16 of the ferrule-forming portion into the insulation 24 as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. To make an electrical connection the ferrule-forming portion is slit at 32 as indicated in FIG. 1 thereby providing an electrical connector portion 30 which is then crimped, depressed or formed up into the notch 26 as shown in FIG. 3 and into intimate contact with the area 22 (FIG. 2) of the wire winding 22.

In FIG. 4 longer slits 32 are shown and a longer connector portion 30 which latter is more in the form of a saddle so that greater assurance of good electrical contact with the wire winding 22 is insured.

Instead of the connector 30 and the slits 32 of FIG. 1, the ferrule-forming portion 14 of the terminal connector may be slit in the form of a V as shown at 33 in FIG. 5 and an electrical connector portion 34 in the form of a triangular pointed tab is thereby provided which as shown in FIG. 6, may be depressed into the notch 26 of the cable and its end into electrical contact or engagement with the Wire winding 22 as shown. Since the tab is pointed it can serve as an insulation-piercing tab without providing the notch 26 if desired.

Instead of a V-slit as shown at 33 in FIG. 5 the slit may be shaped so as to provide rectangular tabs suchas 34 and 34b shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 which are of greater width as shown in FIG. 7 or may be notched as shown at 38 in FIG. 8 for forming a cradle or seat which partially surrounds the resistance coil 22 thereby increasing the insurance for good electrical connections. The tabs 34 and 34 are of the proper height to afford the desired engagement pressure with the coil 22.

In FIG. 9 another modification is shown wherein a separate electrical connector in the form of a soft metal slug 36 of lead or the like serves as an electrical connector bridging the pace between the internal surface of the ferrule-forming portion 14 and the resistance wire 22.

The slug 36 is of such shape and size as to snugly fill the notch 26 so that when the ferrule-forming portion 14 receives the marginal end of the ignition cable and the slug, intimate contact can be established from the ferrule-forming portion to the slug and from the slug to the coil 22 when the terminal edges 28 of the ferrule-forming portion are depressed into the insulation 24 of the cable.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 the ignition cable 18 may be provided with a pair of the notches 26 on opposite sides thereof and the ferrule-forming portion 14 of the terminal connector which is likewise provided with a pair of electrical connector portions 30 of the type shown in FIG. 4 or 34 of the type shown in FIG. 7 thereby increasing the insurance for good electrical connections by pressure of the electrical connector portions with opposite sides of the coil 22. The portions 30 and 34 form barriers coming in from both sides of the cable 18 and efiect a cradle connection for the coil 22 and eliminate the possibility of the coil being displaced unduly with respect to the center of the ignition cable as when the electrical con nectors are pressed into contact with only one side thereof against the opposition of the insulation 24 on the opposite side which, of course, can be displaced.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my terminal connectors for wire wound ignition cables without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may reasonably be included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. A terminal connector of the character disclosed comprising a sheet metal member having a ferrule-forming portion and an electrical connector portion, said ferruleforming portion comprising a tube open at one side, said tube being adapted to receive the marginal end of a wire wound ignition cable having one side of the insulation thereof notched down to the wire winding thereof, the marginal terminal edges of said ferrule-forming portion along the open side thereof being turned inwardly of the tube diameter and thereby crimped into the insulation of the cable opposite the notched side thereof to retain the cable relative to said ferrule-forming portion, and an electrical connector portion of said ferrule adjacent said notch being depressed into the notch of the cable and into intimate surface contact with that portion of the wire winding thereof exposed at the bottom of said notch.

2. A terminal connector according to claim 1 wherein the cable has a pair of opposite notches and said ferruleforming portion has a pair of electrical connector portions, one depressed into each of said notches, and the two electrical connector portions are in surface contact with opposite sides of the wire winding of the cable.

3. A terminal connector according to claim 1 wherein said electrical connector portion is formed by a pair of slits transversely of the axis of said ferrule-forming portion and in substantial alignment with the sides of the notch of the cable to further retain the cable relative to said ferrule-forming portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 593,467 11/1897 Gottschalk 33997 1,575,65 6 3/ 1926 Stratford et a1 3 39276 2,322,773 '6/ 1929 Peters 1741 19 2,501,870 3/1950 Malhiot 33997 2,702,895 2/ 1955 Pavlinetz 339-97 X 7 2,725,544 -11/1955 Strange 339- 2,783,442 2/ 1957 Burnosky 339-97 2,795,769 6/ 1957 Wells 339276 2,968,780 1/ 1961 Roswell 33995 3,033,917 5/1962 Heckel et a1. 174 -121 3,184,704 5/1965 Raymond et a1 33997 FOREIGN PATENTS 66,983 5/ 1914 Austria. 726,317 3/ 1955 Great Britain.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

PATRICK A. CLIF FORD, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TERMINAL CONNECTOR OF THE CHARACTER DISCLOSED COMPRISING A SHEET METAL MEMBER HAVING A FERRULE-FORMING PORTION AND AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR PORTION, SAID FERRULEFORMING PORTION COMPRISING A TUBE OPEN AT ONE SIDE, SAID TUBE BEING ADAPTED TO RECEIVE THE MARGINAL END OF A WIRE WOUND IGNITION CABLE HAVING ONE SIDE OF THE INSULATION THEREOF NOTCHED DOWN TO THE WIRE WINDING THEREOF, THE MARGINAL TERMINAL EDGES OF SAID FERRULE-FORMING PORTION ALONG THE OPEN SIDE THEREOF BEING TURNED INWARDLY OF THE TUBE DIAMETER AND THEREBY CRIMPED INTO THE INSULATION OF THE CABLE OPPOSITE THE NOTCHED SIDE THEREOF TO RETAIN THE CABLE RELATIVE TO SAID FERRULE-FORMING PORTION, AND AN ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR PORTION OF SAID FERRULE ADJACENT SAID NOTCH BEING DEPRESSED INTO THE NOTCH OF THE CABLE AND INTO INTIMATE SURFACE CONTACT WITH THAT PORTION OF THE WIRE WINDING THEREOF EXPOSED AT THE BOTTOM OF SAID NOTCH. 